MISAO RE-JIGGIFY

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author=psy_wombats(I think either way, the way to tackle this is to get rid of categories like "best characters" or "best xxx design" or w/e because they'll naturally just become the "most voters played this game" award

P. sure that's all the awards tbh

ETA: Which honestly will ultimately defeat any attempt at improving the awards because it doesn't matter what the category is when most voters will just vote for "Oh, I know that title!"

Well half the categories are "Best thing" variants, let's be fair. Not every award is won by the same game which I think people keep insisting hyperbole wise. It's evident that the system does work in select awards when it's unlikely for example to nominate a completed game for best demo. Whether or not the game that sweeps most everything happens to be a demo is up to fate I guess.

A big revamp idea I've had was basically, just do a top 10 best game voting. Then people submit in a little form of why they like the game they voted for, the staff then does a customized award write up for each game on a general consensus that the game excels at. Games would be given awards, but the award names are just for fun and kind of personalized. The only exception being best game getting the obvious GOTY. The voting is still systematic but the variety of acknowledgements are done by a human. I guess it's sort of like how Rotten Tomatoes does their critic consensus blurb (no idea how those are done), but instead it's for awards.

Drastic idea and huge revamp. But that's the only thing I can think of that would adapt to the ratio of community size and available games.

edit: I should also elaborate that each voter lists their top 10, and similar to the Top RM games of all Time thread could have a point score total.

author=psy_wombats(I think either way, the way to tackle this is to get rid of categories like "best characters" or "best xxx design" or w/e because they'll naturally just become the "most voters played this game" award, and replace them with genre-specific categories or categories that wouldn't make sense for one game to work for multiple, such as the new dev or best demo ones, which I think are about the strongest)

Yeah, I was gonna mention, if you look at 2006 and 2007, the entries in those years were oddly specific. Hopefully someone can correct me, but I think those nominations were created and decided by a forum thread (like what we're doing right now) but it was for nominating games for the year that just past, instead of at the beginning of the new year.

So that's how we got the weird categories like Dooms 4 winning worst game and Barkley: Shut Up and Jam Gaiden winning Most Ridiculous concept, because we were looking back over the year that just past, and seeing which games stood out the most and made silly categories, to pit them against each other for fun and awards. The selection of games wasn't as large back then, but the results were, we had this really great list of games to choose from for that year.

2008, the nomination catergories become more general, but 2009 and onward that's where you start to see that overlap happen where one game is taking over many categories. That overlap is going to happen, it's happened every year since 2009, I don't know why it happens, but I'm taking a guess, that it happens because, as Sooz mentioned, with so many games coming out, people don't know what to choose from, so when it comes time to voting, they go with what's the most recognizable and easiest game to remember.

However, on a good year for the misaos, more votes and more specific categories, will usually eliminate one game sweeping every catergory and we'll have more games to choose from:

Like in 2015, we had 21 categories, with 11 different games winning from 1234 votes cast.

and in 2016, (which was a very good year) we had 23 categories with 10 different games winning, from 1707 votes cast.

Now in 2017, there was still an overlap, But we still had 23 catergories with 11 different games winning from 1162 votes cast.

But this year, we went back to 15 categories and only 7 games won from 902 votes cast.

It's clear, we really do need more specific categories to eliminate that overlap. I think stuff like "Best Dungeon" or "Best Mapping" should make a return, because we have creators in our community, who may not be as creative as others, but excel at a particular skillset in rpgmaker. Like, they're good at creating really lived in maps or creating really unique dungeons, like Beloved Rapture or Dirge of Doningoth respectively.

I was really disappointed this year when I went to nominate Dirge of Doningoth and realized there was no appropriate category to nominate this game in. So I had to choose 1 out of the 15 categories that were available - and that's how this overlap happens. Because there's not enough categories for these particular games to fit into, when they should really be in a category of their own.----EDIT: Yeah like, stuff like:

The Dark Souls of RMNThe game that delivers the best challenges or coolest puzzles.

That's actually 3 categories, merged into one: "Best Dungeons","Best Puzzles" and "Best Maps" you gotta split them up and make them really specific and distinct. (but also RMN sounding)

I wanted to post this before I forget - A really cool nomination category to add this year, would be "Best Trailer", there were a lot of cool trailers that came out this year. Best one, hands down was Dookie's Kingdoms of the Dump. (I rewatch it sometimes just for the wrecking ball part)

By making this a nomination category. It will allow people to quickly look at what other people are submitting and study what makes a good trailer and how to make your game more marketable to an audience, which I think is a really important skill to have, if you plan on eventually going commercial. I can't think of an RMN sounding name for it yet, though - but going to: https://rpgmaker.net/games/media/trailer/ might make it easier to browse through, create nominations and select a winner for that year:

We had 68 trailers this year, if people pick one out of that 68 as their favorite. We'd have like, a really cool top 5 or top 10 list of trailers to browse at, vote on, and choose from, for that year.

EDIT:The "Video Killed the RM Star" AwardThe video trailer that made you want to play a game the most this year?

Would the trailer have to be submitted as media or appear on the front page? I can see an award for that, but the rule for that would need to be clear. I think it would need to be on the game page. With all the things submitted with media, it would be hard to pull out.

Thinking about it some more, why do we only have best nominations for games. I mean where is the best let's play or the best review? Nominating these sorts of things would probably kill whoever codes this website though.

Ok, I decided to make a rather lengthy commentary on this. I take that Misaos as a popularity meter are goofy and community oriented and I don't have any problem with categories I find unnecessary. I'm a fairly serious person and I like thinking about, which categories do make sense to me, which to a passive user only visiting rm because of one game and which make sense as quality awards.
Also, I would like to respond to some notions.

author=DarkenA big revamp idea I've had was basically, just do a top 10 best game voting.

This would be cool, but it would require voters to play at least 10 games/year. Probably a lot more. Last year I played over 30 games and I struggled to make top 10. I ended up with a list of 8 games, because the rest didn't impact me enough to put it on the list.
So, this would have a condition of many people playing many games. I wouldn't be against making an Educated Choice, if there are enough people, who played 50 or more releases.

author=LordBlueRougeI wanted to post this before I forget - A really cool nomination category to add this year, would be "Best Trailer", there were a lot of cool trailers that came out this year. Best one, hands down was Dookie's Kingdoms of the Dump. (I rewatch it sometimes just for the wrecking ball part)

That's a neat button! I'm not sure this would make a good category, tho. It would be nice to spotlight trailers a little bit more. Maybe an article focused on best trailers once in a while? Something like Best of Blogs. It could even combine blogs, trailers and other media. Something like RMN news.

I divided current awards in 3 categories. Also, my commentary on new awards follows.
Good-Important basic categories. It might be difficult to find nominees for some of them, but they are about basic aspects of gaming development and important things to recognize.
Unnecessary -I don't think these awards add anything. They don't capture important aspects of gammak.
Fast - These are categories, which are unnecessary, but I find it incredibly simple to nominate games in them.

"Eye Candy" Award - It values visual and their artistic value. This one's important.
Summoner of Sounds - Sound is an important atmospheric and narrative device in video games. It's more than good soundtrack. Unfortunately, this is a rather difficult category to nominate games in.
Excellence in Narrative - new storytelling techniques and directions are what makes games so exciting medium today.
The "How the Hell Did They Do That?" Award - RM in particular is a technically limited engine. It's nice to have an award for overcoming its limitations. Again, it might be difficult to recognize, what's worthy a nomination in this category.
Best First Game - This award has great motivational value and it usually adds less known games on the list of nominations.
Most Promising Demo -again It's important to keep devs motivated.
Game of the Year - true popular choice.

Honestly I like most of these, I just find it more difficult to nominate games in these categories and they don't bring so many new games in.
The Dark Souls of RMN - this one's very vaguely articulated. Is it an award for difficulty or for game design? I had a good nomination in this category, because Flesh is a dark souls inspired game with great game design, but it's not really so well defined.
Punniest Game Alive - I'm a serious guy. I don't appreciate humour.
Trippiest Game - This is again a weirdly specific one. Each of us can have a different definition of trippy games and while event give us many games on drugs, occasional visitors probably don't have any idea what to nominate.
The kentona Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence - A honorable mention award is nice in theory, but it doesn't work. GOTY wins this every time.
Year of the Owl
- I get it, but its not a good serious award.

Best Game Title - It's likely that you bump into a ridiculous title, while searching for something to play. On the other hand it's not really something worthy recognition on the same level as main categories.
Best Game Profile - I enjoy this one, because it encourages users to have nice profiles. It's not related to quality of games, tho.
"Lawsuit Waiting To Happen" Award - And I really love this one and I think that it belongs to the culture of RM Fan Fiction.

Overall, I thinks these are all good and inspiring categories. The point I tried to make is more of a personal one. There are 6-7 categories, which should be taken seriously. The rest is us having a good time. And I certainly enjoy nominating games in some of the unnecessary categories, where I would put all new categories as well.

Just because you don't appreciate them doesn't mean no-one else does, nor does it mean they're unnecessary. Just saying, not everything needs to be serious (have you even seen this site? since when are we 100% serious?) and not everything needs to be 'necessary'.

The Misaos started with fun and dumb so keeping a bit of that around is just fine, imo.

author=Cap HThis would be cool, but it would require voters to play at least 10 games/year. Probably a lot more. Last year I played over 30 games and I struggled to make top 10. I ended up with a list of 8 games, because the rest didn't impact me enough to put it on the list.So, this would have a condition of many people playing many games. I wouldn't be against making an Educated Choice, if there are enough people, who played 50 or more releases.

Well people don't have to submit 10 games, it's just a max of what you can submit. But this idea is kind of just in a perfect world scenario. My summary is basically just: funnel everything into one category in order to get a longer list of notable games in a way that presents a unique tally order.

I agree with Misaos being fun and dumb. But I think it's also okay to be passionate about stuff sometimes (I mean what else is there to do? :V).

edit: On the last point I'll be a nerd and simulate my 1 category idea. So taking the highest votes from each game (for any reason) meaning if 22 votes is what one game got highest on in a category, those 22 votes becomes "its total" here is what a list would look like.

So 20 games made it into the 2018 misaos. Some of them are enabled more by the jokey categories but ultimately it's an interesting list. In a perfect world I'd like to see more games make it on there, and while there would be a top 10 cut off, there'd at least be a blurb write up for each unique game.

author=kory_toombsWould the trailer have to be submitted as media or appear on the front page? I can see an award for that, but the rule for that would need to be clear. I think it would need to be on the game page. With all the things submitted with media, it would be hard to pull out.

Yeah! Any video submitted as a "trailer" to a gamepage for 2019.any video media, submitted as "trailer" on RMN for 2019, would be eligible.any video media, found on this page:https://rpgmaker.net/games/media/trailer/ for 2019, would be eligible

...What I could do is november/december of 2019, I'll compile all the videos that's been submitted as "trailer" to a voting thread. From the videos there, people will choose one video, as their favourite - similar to the RMN Mascot Poll, we had awhile back. From those results, we take the best 10 trailers - and those, ten will be listed as a nomination catergory under:

The "Video Killed the RM Star" Award.The video trailer that made you want to play a game the most this year.

Is this doable? Is this technically feasible on the site side of things?I don't know how nominations work on RMN, but I'd be willing to gather the data for this category.

author=LibertySuggestions, thoughts and ideas? Keep or swap a few out for something else? Do we want a reviewer award or something like that? Maybe best event game award too? IDK

I think an award for best reviewer and best review are both excellent ideas.

Also personally, I think that more than anything else on the list, "Best Game Profile" is emphatically its own reward because that game already has tons of attention, so the idea of it being a Misao category rubs me the wrong way. Misaos should be about the games, not the packaging. But that's just my two cents.

Maybe this is a weird idea but is it worth having a dedicated thread where people can submit what they consider to be the "best" original tracks from their games OSTs so even people who dont get around to playing those games can still form an opinion on them?

I find it weird that there's no award for the "best non-RPG Maker game" or maybe even the "best non-RPG game" (Though I feel as if actual RPG games in RM are becoming slightly less popular, or that the definition of what is exactly an RPG game is a little subjective in a few cases.)

While this site focuses on RPG Maker games, I think it is fair to include games made in other engines. It would be a nice award to showcase games outside the most popular ones and rewards people that use other engines.

Oh yeah, and I'm loving the awards so far, especially the "Best Event Game", I think that the "Best Horror Game" is also a good idea, and while it is not possible yet, the "Best Commercial Game" needs an award someday

author=El_WaKaOh yeah, and I'm loving the awards so far, especially the "Best Event Game", I think that the "Best Horror Game" is also a good idea, and while it is not possible yet, the "Best Commercial Game" needs an award someday